style.com: Lyn Devon Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear review

In a serene W Hotel suite full of sunflowers in the middle of Times Square, Lyn Devon’s urban-picnic-inspired collection felt apt. New Yorkers will take nature where they can get it, but they’re more likely to be carrying an Anndra Neen clutch than a wicker basket when they find it. That clutch was one of a few pieces Devon made in collaboration with the jewelry designers. There was also a metallic basket-weave cuff, which picked up its pattern from the collection, and Devon framed a silk cotton basket-weave onto a shift dress in pale citron.

Another tweaked picnic trope was the pair of jeans that, instead of being denim, were actually made of sky blue butter-soft leather. Dresses had side slits and cute shorts beneath—the answer to awkward alfresco lounging positions—and seams curved into the body for a bit of a sporty, swimwear feel. The result was playful, and even a little sexy, an element that’s sometimes missing from Devon’s clothes: Her girl is always demure, but come spring she’ll be flirtatious, too. A swingy, silver lace shift dress lined with more of that citron shade was a standout, as was the to-the-floor gown version. Paired with Devon’s “denim” jacket (another leather impostor), it would be best at a picnic that came with a maître d’.